West Hills is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Church, and therefore is a church dedicated to cooperation with other rooms in the house of faith. We are founded on God’s grace and dedicated to proclaiming it as our central message. We offer a professionally staffed nursery, excellent children’s education, traditional worship, wonderful hymns for music, warm fellowship, and many opportunities for service to others. Come visit us anytime and be a part of the WHBC family!

We seek to be a free and faithful voice of the Gospel, witnessing with integrity to Jesus Christ and the mission of the church. The church believes in and dedicates itself to preserving and practicing historic Baptist principles, freedoms, and traditions. We value worship, religious education, missions and service, theological depth and diversity, intellectual openness, religious freedom, social consciousness, responsible stewardship, and warm fellowship. We invite you to come and be a part of it.

Rev. Prince is a graduate of McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta where he studied under Dr. John Claypool and Dr. Truett Gannon. He earned the William Ollie and Nell Ray Key Excellence in Leadership Award while at McAfee. He was ordained at West Hills Baptist Church in 2004 where he grew up with his brother and sisters. Rev. Prince’s father was the Senior Minister of the church for 32 years.

Prior to his service as a minister, Rev. Prince earned a bachelors in political science from the University of Tennessee and a masters in curriculum and instruction. While at UT, he was a member of the Political Science Honor Society. Prince pursued a career in education following his graduation, and taught school for eight years. After teaching, Prince went on to a career in pharmaceutical sales before attending seminary.

Dr. Thorson is a professor in the music department of Carson-Newman College and the director of Knoxville’s Choral Society. Please see more details of his outstanding career on our Music page. Dr. Thorson has been bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to the music department of West Hills Baptist since 1995.

MUSIC MINISTER

Dr. Eric Thorson

Rev. Brown holds a Master of Divinity degree from the McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. She was ordained at the First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 2007, where she served as Family Life Minister until taking some time off from paid vocational ministry to be a stay-at-home mom for a season.

Rev. Brown is a native East Tennessean and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Tennessee. She loves children and her passion is helping children and families discover the joy that comes from journeying with Jesus. She and her husband Jeff have two young boys.

MINISTER TO CHILDREN

Rev. Naomi Brown

MINISTER TO YOUTH

Rev. Adam Tarver

Adam is a graduate of the McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to his time at McAfee he attended Carson-Newman University and graduated with a double major in religion and applied psychology. Adam is originally from Knoxville and grew up in the Fountain City area. It was while he was a teenager in Fountain City that he began to feel the call to youth ministry. Adam got his first taste of youth ministry while he was a sophomore at Carson-Newman and never stopped. He loves working with teenagers and is passionate about walking alongside teenagers on their spiritual journey and helping them to see the places where God is working in their lives and in our world.

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR

Chamina Bolland

A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration majoring in Economics, Chamina has over ten years experience in financial analysis and budgetary management. She is a CPA candidate, an experienced auditor, and is also president for the James Company of Knoxville, LLC.

OUR HISTORY

WHBC began in 1959 when twenty persons met in the home of J.O. and Leola Archer under the sponsorship of Knoxville’s First Baptist Church. The mission meeting at West Hills Elementary School grew rapidly and called the Reverend Andrew J. Prince as its first pastor in August 1960. WHBC organized as a church with 176 charter members in October 1961, and moved into its first permanent building.

WHBC has been an integral part of the community, establishing a premier preschool, kindergarten program, sponsoring scout troops and community activities, and cooperating with other churches in the FISH program. WHBC provides transportation to church activities for retirement center residents and has given an annual Christmas party for the children of the Western Heights Baptist Center since 1970.

WHBC has been active in hands-on missions. Groups and individuals have gone from Appalachia to Alaska, from Arizona to Africa, from Pippa Passes to Peru, from Chile to China, and points between.

WHBC was blessed with the 32-year ministry of Dr. Andrew J. Prince, and the six-year tenure of Dr. Marvin G. Cameron. More recently Rev. John E. Pennington, Jr served as Senior Minister for 10 1/2 years. As of June 12, 2011 Rev. Drew Prince began his service as the Senior Minister following in his father’s footsteps 50 years later.